Research

RESEARCH INTERESTS
  • Southeast Asian politics – Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar/Burma, Brunei, Timor Leste, Thailand & Singapore
  • Comparative politics – state formation, democracy, freedom, elections, human rights, party politics, political attitudes and political culture, peace, conflict and violence, Islam and Democracy
  • Gender politics – gender participation, rights and gender equality
  • International relations – ASEAN, US/Southeast Asia relations, aid flows, transnational challenges and humanitarian responses
CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH PROJECTS:
  • Regime Support in Southeast Asia
  • Democratic Citizenship and Youth in Southeast Asia
  • Political Attitudes and Electoral Behavior in Malaysia
  • Leadership and Political Institutions in Southeast Asia
  • Women’s Participation in Politics in Southeast Asia
  • Political Islam and Democracy
  • Contested Internet Freedom and Democracy in Southeast Asia
BOOKS
  • 2021, Sabah From the Ground: The 2020 Elections & The Politics of Survival. (Co-edited with Vilashini Somiah & Benjamin YH Loh). (Malaysia: SIRD, Singapore: ISEAS)
  • 2018, Regime Resilience in Malaysia and Singapore. (Co-edited with Greg Lopez). (Malaysia: SIRD and Rowman Littlefield)
  • 2016, The End of UMNO?: Essays on Malaysia’s dominant party. (Malaysia: Petaling Jaya)
  • 2014, Bangkit: Tempoh Pent Adbiran Abdullah Badawi di Malaysia. (Co-edited with James Chin)
  • 2013, Awakening: The Abdullah Badawi Years in Malaysia. (Co-edited with James Chin). (Kuala Lumpur: SIRD)
  • 2012, Democracy TakeOff? The Habibie Period (co-edited with Dewi Fortuna Anwar). (Jakarta: Sinar Harapan)
  • 2012, Penang in Numbers. (co-authored with Ramesh Chander). (Penang: UPEN- Penang Institute)
  • 2009, Impressions of the Goh Chok Tong Years in Singapore. (Co-edited with James Chin, Arun Mahizhnan & Tan Tarn How) (Singapore: National University Press)
  • 2008, A Legacy of Engagement in Southeast Asia. (Co-edited with Ann Marie Murphy). (Singapore: ISEAS)
  • 2004, Reflections: The Mahathir Years. (Washington, DC:  Johns Hopkins University-SAIS)
SELECTED CHAPTERS AND ARTICLES